Machine for use in the manufacture of cartons



June` 6, 1944. w. r. MARTIN `MACHNE FOR USE INv THE MANUFACTURE OF CARTONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 8, 1942 www www.. MM H -.n w. n

June 6, 1944., w. T. MARTIN A l 2,350,690 MACHINE FOR SE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARTQNS Filed Jan.' s, 1942 2 sheets-sheet 2 -Fl if' 32.

y INVENTR l 'Mu/AM Z'MMr//v B v ,uw ATTORN S A Patented June 6, 1944 MACHINE FOR .USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARTONS l Wiiiiam T. Martin, Canajoharie, N. Y., assigner to Beech-Nut Packing Company, Canajoharie, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 8, 1942, Serial No. 425,970

4 Claims,

rThe present invention relates to machines for use in the manufacture of boxes or cartons, especially cartons made of flexible material such as cardboard, and has forits object to provide a novel and improved machine of this character.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, by Wayof example, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l isa side View of the machine with parts broken away and partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; y

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View, taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a View in perspective of a. carton after being operated upon by my improved machine, the condition of the carton previously to being thus operated upon being indicated by dotted lines.

The present machine is particularly adapted for use in manufacturing the box or carton illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. 'Ihis carton may be formed from a suitably shaped blank of cardboard or similar material which is scored and then folded to form a bottom wall 2, side walls 4, and end walls The end walls t may be formed of upward-ly bent outer aps il and invvardly bent end iiaps iii which are pasted to the outer naps B in the usual manner. In the carton shown in the drawings, there is a card or lyleaf I2 which is pasted between the flaps if) and 8 at one end of the carton.

It has been found that with machines commoniy in use for making this type carton, when the cartons leave the machines there is a tendency for the side walls thereof to bulge outwardly, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, which is objectionable.

In accordance with the present invention means is provided for acting on each carton as each carton leaves the carton-forming machine to bend the side walls inwardly in such a manner that they will be retained in substantially vertical position during the subsequent operations of filling and closing the carton. This means, as shown, is embodied in a machine that is adapted to be used in association with the usual cartonmaking machine.

In the usual carton-making machine, as each carton is completed it is discharged from the machine, as by means of a plunger I 4 that may work over a support ES for the cartons. In my improved machine as the cartons are ejected from the support i6 they drop upon a conveyor comprising sprocket chains IS which pass over sprocket wheels 2c cn shafts 22 journaled in bearings at the ends of the frame of the machine. These sprocket chains I8 are spaced apart and their upper stretches rideA on ay plate or table 24 secured to the machine frame. The sprocket chains I8 are provided with upstanding lugs 2S which are spaced apart longitudinally of each chain, and the lugs on the two chains are arranged opposite each other. n f

After each carton drops upon the conveying chains I8, the rea-r end thereof is engaged by a pair of lugs 26 and conveyed longitudinally of the machine, the cartons being held from lateral movement by guide rails 28 between which the cartons pass.

A bar or rod 3i! is secured across the topsv of the guide rails 2t. The rod 30 is used so that in case a carton should happen to drop upon. the top of .a pair of lugs 2E, when the forward. end of the carton reaches the rod 30, it will engage the rod and thus the carton will be held until the next pair of lugs 2e engage the rear end of the carton. Thus the cartons are fed through my improved machine in equally spaced end to end relation irrespective of any variation in the rate of delivery of the cartons to the machine. The flexible fly-leaves I2 are bent downwardly by the rod 30 as the cartons pass beneath said rod.

As each cartonv passes beneath the rod 30, it passes between creasing rollers 32. Each of these rollers is mounted for free rotary movement on a bolt stud 34 carried by one end of a lever 36 pivoted on a pin 38 on the machine frame. The other end of each lever carries a cam roll 40 which is engaged by a cam 42 on the upper end of a vertical shaft 44 journaled in a bearing on the machine frame. The two cam rolls 40 are held against the surfaces of the cams 42 by means of a coil spring 46 connecting the forward arms of the cam levers 36.

Each cam shaft 44 is driven through a worm gear 48 secured thereon which is engaged by a worm gear 5U, the two Worm gears 5I] being secured on a shaft 52 extending across the lower part of the machine. The shaft 52 is driven through a sprocket chain 54 which passes over a sprocket wheel on said shaft and a sprocket wheel on one of the shafts 22 which carry the sprocket wheels 20 of the carton conveyor chains I8. The carton conveyor chains I8 are driven, and. hence the cam shafts 24, by means of a sprocket chain 56 which passes over a sprocket wheel -58 on the other shaft 22, which sprocket chain may be driven through suitable connections With the shaft of an electric moton Each of the creasing rollers 32 maybe of flat disk form having a rounded edge as shown. The creasing rollers 32 are adapted to engage the side walls of the carton as the carton passes between them, the lines of engagement of the rollers and side walls being in proximity to the bottom wall of the carton, as shown in Fig. 3.

As each carton passes between .the pairV of creasing rollers 32, the cams 42 swing'the rollers inwardly causing them to ride over the forward end of the carton and then move inwardly with increasing pressure so as to bend the side walls of the carton inwardly as indicated :in Figs.V 2V

and 4, the pressure of the rollers decreasing as the rear end portions of the side walls pass between them. This bending takes place on the line of fold between the side walls and the bottom of the carton, and the pressure is so regulated that when the carton leaves the creasing rollers the side walls spring outwardly into vertical position at right angles to the bottom wall of the carton, and will be retained in that position during the subsequent filling and closingv of the carton.

It will be apparent that my improved machine is simple in construction and efficient in operation for the purposes described.r

As will be evident to those skilled in the art, myA invention permits various modifications withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine for use in the manufacture of cartons of the class described, each carton comprising a bottom wall and vertical side and end walls, the combination of means for feeding the cartons longitudinally in end to end relation and spaced apart, and devices acting progressively in a direction transverselyto `the direction of the feeding of the cartons to bend the portions of the side walls extending between the end walls of each carton inwardly on the lines of fold between the side walls and the bottom wall as the cartons are thus fed, said feeding means feeding each carton past said bending device during the bending operation of said device on the carton.

2.l In a machine for use in the manufacturel of cartons of the class described, each carton comprising a bottom wall and vertical side and end walls, the combination of means for feeding the cartons longitudinally in end to end relation and spaced apart,y and devices comprising creasing rollers arranged at opposite sides of the path of travel of the cartons acting automatically as each carton passes between said rollers to engage progressively the lower portions of the side walls of the carton and bend the portions of the side walls extending between the end walls inwardly on the lines of fold between the side walls and the bottom wall, said creasing rollers being moved laterally of the path of travel of the cartons as the cartons pass between them so as not to exert bending pressure on the end walls of the cartons.

3. In a machine for use in the manufacture of cartons of the class described, each carton comprising a bottom wall and vertical side and end walls, the combination of means for feeding cartons longitudinally in end to end relation and spaced apart, freely rotatable creasing rollers adapted to ride over the side walls of the cartons as each carton passes between them, and means acting automatically to move said rollers toward and from each other as each carton passes between them to bend the portions of the side walls extending between the end walls inwardly on the lines of fold between the side walls and the bottom walls,.each carton being fed continuously as it is acted upon by the bending rollers.

4. In a machine for use in the manufacture of cartons of the class described, each carton comprising a bottom wall and Vertical side and end walls, the combination of means for feeding cartons longitudinally in end to end relation and spaced apart, freely rotatable creasing rollers adapted to ride over the side walls of the carton as each carton passes between them, and cam controlled means for moving said creasing rollers toward and from each other to progressively apply pressure on the outer sides of the side walls, the pressure increasing as the forward end pcrtions of the side walls of each carton pass between the rollers anddecreasing as the rear end portions of the side walls pass between the rollers, whereby the portions of the side walls extending between the end walls are bent inwardly on the lines of fold between the side walls and the bottom wall, each carton being fed continuously as it is acted upon by the bending rollers.

WILLIAM T. MARTIN. 

